If That's What It Takes
by CharmedAngel2013
Summary: Vaughn Fitzgerald life is spiraling out of control. His world is falling apart and the LEA has had enough. Enter Michael Byrne; the former superhead and single father of two who left the school over two years ago. Why has he decided to return and what will Christine Mulgrew and a certain Matilda 'Maddi' Austin make of his return? NOT A CHRISTINE/MICHAEL LOVE STORY! cover blob@TDA
1. The Story Outline

COMING SOON:

Vaughn Fitzgerald life is spiraling out of control. His world is falling apart and the LEA has had enough. Enter Michael Byrne; the former superhead who left the school over two years ago. Why has he decided to return and what will Christine Mulgrew and a certain Sofia Austin make of his return?

Sofia Austin is a single mum to her eighteen month old daughter, Ariana, and she will do anything to protect her but why does Michael Byrne's arrival make her scared like she has never been before?


	2. Prologue

_**Prologue**_

It was the last place he had expected to be. He had never expected to return here but now he was. Michael Byrne stood in the entrance hall of the LEA building, wondering if he had actually lost his mind. It had been two years ago he had walked out of here and it had been for a good reason, so why when the phone call came did he find himself leaving Devon and coming back to Greenock, the place of so many bad memories.

It was a question he had asked himself a million times since he had said yes over a week ago. Leaving the boarding school had been a hard decision, one of the hardest he had made but it was time to return. It wasn't a decision that just affected him; no it also affected his children Athena and Caspian. They were both at an age where moving homes really affected them but they had both wanted to come back to. _Dad it's our home, our real home_, eight year old Athena had said as she looked at her older brother.

Looking around the large, old building which housed the local council he really wondered if he had made the right decision. If he doubted being here, and finding this hard, then how was he supposed to manage walking into the doors of Waterloo Road? Sighing he heard someone call his name before turning on his heel to see George Duncan walking towards him, the head of the LEA.

"George," he said as the two shook hands.

"Glad you've finally arrived. Come on, let's go upstairs and I will introduce you to your new team."

Michael nodded and it was only then that he admitted to himself why he had decided to take this job. George had spoken to him with such enthusiasm about the joint merger of Waterloo Road and Havelock High. This where he came in. They reached the boardroom within moments they had reached the boardroom and he pushed the door open. Stepping inside he saw no familiar faces and he was glad of that but as of tomorrow that would change.

"Michael, can I introduce you to Lorna Hutchinson and Alessandro Fletcher, your new deputy head teachers' and Lola Jeffery, your new head of Pastoral Care."

Lorna was blonde, big blue eyes and very young Michael noticed, but when he had read her CV he had been impressed with it. A few phone calls to previous schools she had worked in confirmed she was up and coming deputy with the potential to run a school by the age of thirty five. Alessandro, on the other hand, was an Italian-English man who had come to Scotland to work with him. They had met six months ago at a teacher's conference and Michael had offered him a position on his team, thankful he had accepted.

Michael sat down between the two and the meeting began. An hour later he was officially the new Head of Waterloo High – they had merged the two names together. As he walked out of the door with his new team little did he know that what would happen next would test him like no one had ever done before.


	3. Chapter One

Thanks to everyone who commented. I just want to say I've changed the heroine name to Matilda Austin. Please don't be disappointed this isn't a Michael/Christine love story but that isn't something I wanted to touch on.

_**Chapter One**_

Pulling the coat around herself, Matilda Austin let out a sigh as stepped out of the car and into the last of the summer days. Looking at the building in front of her, she couldn't believe another school year had begun and it was one she hadn't been looking forward to. Sighing she walked around the back of her Landrover Evoque and opened the boot. The school car park was rather deserted and it should be, it had just gone quarter to eight but sooner rather than later students would be walking through the car park ready for a new term.

Hearing the sound of a car pulling in, she turned on her heel and frowned, it wasn't one she recognised. Her mouth went dry and something told her that her worst nightmare had just walked back into her life. It had been six weeks ago, at the end of the term, that it had been announced that Vaughn Fitzgerald would be stepping down as the head teacher she had felt herself panicking. What? No he couldn't be stepping down. Vaughn was an excellent head and they had a fantastic relationship so losing him had come as a shock. The bigger one was who was going to be replacing him.

That nearly sent her to a mental health hospital. It had taken her so long to move on, to forget about that one night stand and to erase the tattoo of his name off her heart and mind. Closing her eyes she took a deep breath before turning back to her boot. Lifting the crate of her things for the new term, she froze. Shaking her head she dropped the crate onto the floor before she turned around. Her heart stopped. Well it felt like it when she saw who was stood opposite her.

She felt the colour draining from her face. _Get a grip, Matilda_, a voice from deep within said as she looked at him. God he hadn't change that much at all, in fact he was more handsome than ever. He was forty now, his eyes shining those beautiful brown colour as the September sun danced upon his face. Her heart was beating hundred miles an hour being in his presence, she never wanted to be back here again. She had too much to lose but she couldn't help but think he looked divine in his black suite but notice he had bought himself a black Superdry coat. Hot. _He's your boss, Matilda, _the little voice from within said.

"Matilda," he said softly as she felt her mouth going dry, her lips hardening. His voice seemed to cut through her like a knife.

"Michael, nice to see you again," she replied. She watched as he stepped forward, her heart beating faster. Man he shouldn't be having this effect on her but he did.

"Likewise, I believe you're my new head of English?"

"Yes but bit surprised you allowed me to take the role though, Michael," she said, remembering the bad experience she had with him before he had left.

"Ah….you is a talented teacher and Vaughn seemed to push for you to have the position. I couldn't say no."

_Even though you're the head teacher? _She thought to herself and wondered why he was letting a depromote ex-head telling him what to do. After the drama of the final term of Waterloo Road she was surprised he was coming to Waterloo High at all. In her eyes she thought Vaughn was a talented English teacher and it was a waste for him not to be the head of the department but apparently he didn't want to be.

"Okay. I don't want to sound rude but I need to prepare for registration."

Michael nodded at her before he headed into the direction of the school. Her heart was still racing as she entered the school and headed for her classroom. The school felt cold and almost erie, it was too quiet and this building was five floors tall and shaped into the U shape found in palaces and castles of Europe. She was to have the whole top floor, left wing for the English section heading up ten teachers and having her own deputy, Martha Howard. Taking the lift to the top floor, she pulled her trolley full of books and stationary before unlocking the door.

Stepping inside she smiled as she saw it had been set up how she had specified. The classroom was the largest of the English rooms and came with its own private office. _Perks of being a head_, she thought to herself as she flicked the lights on and pulled the trolley in. She headed to the first of the two doors in the classroom and pushed it open to relive her office. It wasn't massive but her desk was forward facing so she could have meetings with other teachers and also be working on her laptop, or watching in case people came in.

"Matilda?" she heard a familiar voice shout. She smiled knowing that voice, Lorna Hutchinson.

"In the office," she called out to her best friend. Lorna appeared moments later with what looked like Starbucks takeaway mugs and she grinned.

"Hey, girl, thought you'd like a hot chocolate."

"Yes please, thank you," Matilda replied as she took the drink and sat on the edge of her desk.

"So have you seen our new head?"

"Kinda bumped into him in the car park," she replied quietly. "Seeing him…well...it brought back memories I didn't want to bring back."

Martha sighed and lent against the doorframe. She knew how hard this was for her friend but also she needed to be an adult about the situation. Okay so they had spent some Sunday afternoons drinking red wine and trying to persuade her to take the damn job. Like who wanted to be unemployed? No one and besides it was a dream job role minus the Michael Byrne part.

"Unfortunately that is going to happen, Maddi, but just take it day by day and see where you end up, yeah?"

Maddi nodded and knew her friend was right but she had a sickly feeling that Michael would discover her secret sooner rather than later. How could she possibly hide something as big as this, well she was going to have to try, wasn't she?

"Good morning and welcome to Waterloo High."

Matilda sat inside the large assembly hall of the school listening as Michael did his first assembly of the year. As she looked out over the students, she recognised some familiar faces; Lisa (she hated that kid), Bonnie, Scott (number one trouble maker), Justin and Darren. There were some new faces, too, but the ones who caught her attention the most was the year seven's, they looked terrified. She would be taking twenty eight of them as her first tutor group.

The assembly felt way too long but before she knew it, thankfully, she was heading upstairs to being her first class of the year. She had year nine's which meant SAT's for them and she had decided to start with them doing some creative writing about themselves.

"Okay, class," she said as she walked into the classroom and pressed the button of the remote in her hand. The screen in front of her suddenly burst into life. "My name is Miss Austin and I will be your head of English. You lucky people have the honour of being my first class of the year and since we've had the merger today you'll be working on creative writing."

"Do we have to?" she heard someone say before she walked over to where the voice had come from.

"Stand up and introduce yourself."

Matilda walked in front of him, crossed her arms and gave him a look that said, talk. She wanted to get a reputation right away for being a tough teacher who would embarrass any students who decided to be a little swine in her classroom. However she also wanted to be known for having a heart and putting her students first – well her role model was Michael Byrne. _Stop thinking about Byrne! _A little voice inside screamed.

One by one she watched as the students stood up and introduce themselves before she walked over to her laptop and brought the PowerPoint presentation up. This was part of the job she loved, actually and welcoming a new class and presenting her first presentation. She spent the three weeks before the beginning of term just doing this, making sure she had enough for the whole term. But as she stood up there, presenting on autobiographies – the first year for her year nine's, her head wasn't in the game. It was far away with her secret.

It couldn't get out. It just couldn't.


End file.
